They kept on with their singing, one of them starting into another hymn as soon as the notes of the last faded away. Beautiful Morning, The Easter Carol, I know That my Redeemer Liveth, Angels Rolled Away the Stone, Death Hath No Terror, He Lives, and even a bit of The Halleluhah Chorus. They sang as the sun rose and the shadows in the holler below retreated. Faint tendrils of mist arose from the ground as the dew evaporated, and the scents of spring Kathy so craved rose up with them. Spring ephemerals weren't to be found in a spot so sunny and humanized as a graveyard, but violets, wood's sorrel, purple deadnettle, henbit, heal-all, pepper grass, and three species of chickweed made for a raggle-taggle carpet. Redbuds and dogwoods grew along the edges of the clearing. Sharon noticed that some of the dogwoods were showing signs of blight infection, and offered up a hope they would not go the way of the chestnut and the elm. Down in the holler, the lilac bush Cassie had planted by the porch was starting to bloom, but the one up here in the graveyard was just starting to show color.

In deference to Aunt Kathy's age, they had brought a folding table on which to lay out breakfast. Louie carried over the baskets and helped Sharon and Cathy begin to lay out the simple feast. Billie walked over to the southeast corner to have a word with ol' Duke, who had died back in February.